Well, the transition from pMachine to WordPress just keeps getting better. After realizing that I had a missing xmlrpc file on my site, I think I’m ready to use MarsEdit as my new desktop blogging solution. Before, I was using pmPost which pretty much did the same thing, although I have to admit that it made things a little easier by putting its custom tags in a right-click instead of MarsEdit’s distant toggle selection. But I can adjust.

Here’s the deal. In my own way, and in principle, I actually believe in Intelligent Design.

There, I said it. I think accepting the spiritual nature of birth is a totally rational thought for a parent to have. And it’s something I can’t help but find myself feeling these days. To me, it’s a no-brainer, because… well, making a baby didn’t actually take a whole lot of effort on my part. I just kind of assume somebody else did the harder part of making it all happen from the start. That much seems obvious. There are, of course, all kinds of extensions to this line of thinking, which I believe shouldn’t conflict with the empirical study of evolution. End of story.

So then, moving on to those stupid stickers. It was only right to remove them from the student’s textbooks. They weren’t doing anything but trying to undermine the science of evolution, which people have been doing for decades. (Yawn.) And it’s not likely that such an “innocent” approach wasn’t carrying with it some sort of agenda. I can only guess that the sense of entitlement the new crop of anti-evolutionists must be feeling today is the result of (1) George W’s re-election and (2) someone kinda-sorta articulating an alternative theory in ID (albiet with conjecture and not a whole lot of science). That being as it is, challenger’s to Darwin’s science should not go unchecked. Nor should they ever. And whether they’re trying to do so or not, singling out evolution in a child’s textbook is the wrong way to get ID to be taken seriously. It sends the wrong message to everybody.

I thought the judge in this case summed it up pretty well.

Adopted by the school board, funded by the money of taxpayers, and inserted by school personnel, the sticker conveys an impermissible message of endorsement and tells some citizens that they are political outsiders while telling others they are political insiders.

And if that doesn’t sink in yet, here’s what some of the other textbook stickers could have looked like.

I agree with some of the sentiments in this article and think the rest of it is just silly. The Mac world does look like it’s changing. But to that I say… “Duh! Did anybody really think it would be all champagne, giggles, and no market share forever?”

For proof, take a gander at the unusually polished Steve Jobs in this interview. Notice how he cleverly drops in the use of the term “iPod marketplace” as opposed to the MP3 marketplace or digital music marketplace. This time, the distortion field is now becoming a part of the reality. So, get ready Alice and stop your whining.

Of course, this is not the Apple of yesteryear and why would anybody want it to be? Job’s has priced stuff to move, which means the Mac mini will likely not end up being a repeat of the failure that was the Cube. And it really looks like this time the legendary smart ass has his eye on the prize.

Call me a little naive, but I found it hard to believe some conservatives had the balls this week to gloat over accountability in Rathergate. After all, the scandal in question had to do with documents that were never proven, by any sufficient evidence I’m aware of, to be false. They were just never authenticated and probably never will be. Am I right? If so, I don’t think that’s merely the distinction of an ideological apologist (and I find that amusing given my attitude towards mainstream news, but whatever).

Armstrong Williams, on the other hand, got caught with his pants down taking money from the Bush Administration to peddle their No Child Left Behind Act. That’s not just crossing a journalistic ethical boundary, that’s a government bribe from the highest office in the land. That’s your money and mine pay rolling ideology and it’s a real, honest to goodness fraud. Period. There should be so much outrage from this, I don’t even know where to begin.

Now, Rathergate did turn out to have consequences. There’s a 224 page report from an investigation which I’m sure is a real page turner. Executives that were with CBS for years ended up losing their jobs and Dan Rather announced that he’s stepping down from the anchor desk. There has no doubt been some real, gut wrenching anguish over the report. In short, there has been accountability.

About the Author

Mike Schindler has been creating customer experiences since 1998. He has used his intuitive sense of design to help build forward thinking solutions for countless companies and clients over the years, including Piggly Wiggly, Campus Door, and Rite Aid. more...